Maigh Cuilinn CC secured an emphatic 81–57 victory over Tolka Rovers in the opening round of the National Cup at Sportlann Naomh Anna in Leitir Móir last weekend.
The final margin, however, scarcely reflected how closely contested the opening half had been.
Maigh Cuilinn edged the first quarter 18–17, but Tolka gradually took control of the second period and led by seven points with just two minutes remaining before half-time.
It took two moments of individual determination from Ivan Basic to spark the home side into life.
Despite being the smallest player on court, Basic grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on the putback before pushing the ball upcourt on a subsequent fast break and finding Grant Olsson for another basket.
That four-point burst reduced the deficit to 35–32 at half-time and set the stage for an extraordinary third quarter.
Maigh Cuilinn emerged from the interval with remarkable intensity, scoring 24 unanswered points in little over six minutes to completely transform the contest.
Their defence was relentless, producing seven steals during the run, while Olsson, Basic, Antonio Molina, James Loughnane, Mark Convery and Dylan Cunningham all contributed scores.
By the time Donagh McDonagh connected on a three-pointer with just under four minutes remaining in the quarter, Maigh Cuilinn had turned a three-point deficit into a commanding 56–35 advantage.
Tolka eventually stemmed the tide, but the home side still won the period 26–8 to lead 58–43 entering the fourth quarter.
Any lingering doubts about the result were extinguished when Maigh Cuilinn scored nine of the opening 11 points of the final period to stretch their advantage to 67–45.
Olsson led the scoring with 19 points, while Molina contributed 16 and Basic added 11 in an impressive all-round performance. Convery finished with eight points, while Loughnane's return provided a welcome boost to the Maigh Cuilinn offence.
The victory secured a home quarter-final and provided a timely reminder of the quality within the Maigh Cuilinn squad.
This Saturday's meeting with Killarney Lakers will represent a considerable step up in opposition, but the Galway side will hope to bring the same defensive aggression and attacking confidence into what promises to be an entertaining encounter at the Kingfisher.
